Paul O’Brien - he brings the Marvel sales figures and the cold, hard truth, as in his analysis of the sales of the first issue of the new Iron Fist series:
Every month there seems to be at least one new title that sticks out a completely spurious “Sold out at Diamond” press release, as if this were some sort of achievement. The reality, of course is that the print run is only fixed after the orders come in, and so anything can sell out at Diamond if the overprint is kept small enough. Frankly, if you’re a Marvel Universe superhero title, debuting in the 30Ks is not great, because you tend to fall sharply over the next couple of issues, and then you’re in trouble. The last IRON FIST solo title, launched in March 2004, started off with 34K, and got axed with issue #6. Obviously this is a few thousand higher, but it’s still not brilliant.
People! This was a good book! Why aren’t you buying it?
December 29th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
I would have guessed that it would have at least matched Daredevil numbers, seeing as how Brubaker is one of the writers and the art looks similar to Daredevil’s (oh, and because Danny Rand WAS Daredevil for a bit). This makes me sad because I really like this book and I don’t want it to be canceled after the first story arc. Seems like a few very good books at Marvel are getting swept under the rug recently, possibly because everyone is buying Civil War stuff? Who knows.
December 29th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
The last Iron Fist solo sucked. Even though I knew I wouldn’t get burned by this outing I was hesitant, I can’t blame anyone who is less informed for holding off. That being said the first issue was absolutely great.
December 29th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
I’m loving the new Iron Fist.
Then again comics do not love me back since Nextwave is just about done.
The big problem is that Marvel fans only want things with the Civil War logo on it.
This should display the difference between Marvel and DC.
Marvel brands their hits and the fans follow the branded hit books. If there is a lack of brand, sales go down.
DC fans demand silverage goodness and demand reinforced conservatism across the line.
December 29th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Actually, this is one of the few cases where the “sold out” PR is real. Iron Fist #1 was under-ordered because it was one of the few non-CW books launching, and retailers all over the country were actually selling out of it on the day it came out. Plus, we DID overprint it fairly heavily. I don’t have the exact numbers, but with the second printing I think we’re over 50K sold at this point, and retailers are still telling us they can’t keep it on the shelves.
Personally, it did better than I expected it to, because, you know… it’s Iron Fist. I’ll be happy if we make it to issue 16 just to beat John Byrne’s record.
December 29th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
And if you’re looking for an example of this being about actual demand, there were initially no plans to reprint issue 1 until the Director’s cut in February, but so many retailers flooded Marvel with requests for a second printing right away that it went back to press immediately.
December 29th, 2006 at 1:57 pm
Hey Ed, I’m loving the book, it’s pretty damn awesome. The panel of Orson leaping towards the Germans, crotch-akimbo, was simultaneously weirdly funny and super-awesome.
I also like the characterization of Danny, which hearkens back to his more newbie days. And Jeryn Hogarth is interesting for the first time in the character’s history.
And I’m reminded that X-Men: Fairy Tales sold horrible for an X-book (IIRC REALLY horrible) but the comic sold out at retaliers and well enough to greenlight further Fairy Tales books.
December 29th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
Iron Fist is ridiculously good. Best new Marvel book in ages, I think, and I demand at least two years of it, preferably three!
Seriously, if I don’t get a bunch of issues of Iron Fist, split across two or three hardcover collections, I am going to lie down right here and pitch a fit like a three year old.
Do you want to see a grown man cry? Then go buy Iron Fist!
(Coyle has a point, but the best non-funny page in the book was the page after Severin’s art, with Randall standing in the street. It took me half a second to realize what had happened, and oh man! Great stuff.)
December 29th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Iron Fist has been great. I’m going to do my part, after trying the first two and adding it to my pull.
It can take the Agents of ATLAS spot now that AoA is just about over.
December 29th, 2006 at 2:29 pm
Good to read Ed’s take on the sales figures. Like others here, I’d like to see Iron Fist do well and have a long healthy run. The first issue was all set up, but that’s fine (haven’t read the second issue yet). Given the Brubaker-Fraction combo and my nostalgia for characters I read when I was a kid, I’m willing to give Iron Fist 5-6 issues before deciding if I’m in it for the long haul.
As a commenter already mentioned, Next Wave’s cancellation was a serious bummer (ok, I’m Californian, I can use the word “bummer”). Ellis has promised Next Wave mini-series, but I won’t hold my breath (Ellis has plenty on his plate as is).
December 29th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
It’s perhaps worth mentioning, in this context, that IRON FIST #1 shipped in the last week of the month, so there would be no opportunity for re-orders to appear on the November chart.
December 29th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
.
I read this book. (Is that trademarked?)
The first issue had a few art things that needed to be corrected before it was sent to the printer, but weren’t. The second had no immediately noticeable problems, and was a better comic than the first.
And I didn’t buy it. Too many other things, too little money.
Sales may have been held down because of the quality of the previous series that involved this group of characters. Daughters of the Dragon was horrid. Marvel should be ashamed of themselves for publishing it.
.
December 29th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
I thought that DotD was kind of fun, myself.
But it had very, very little to do with Iron Fist, save for guest-starring him in the last issue and maybe the last page of the previous issue. That’s hardly going to color sales on a book that doesn’t even mention the other series in its marketing.
December 30th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Yeah, Heroes for Hire is the book that followed DotD, and that’s selling rather well.